Why a full time butt extension may be better than the alternatives.

Saturated Fats

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been using a full time butt extension for several years now. I previously tried shaft extensions and temporary extensions. I won't be going back to previous methods. Here are a few reasons why:
  1. The need for a longer reach comes up pretty often. When it comes up, the extension is already there. No need to go get it.
  2. Fewer shots require a mechanical bridge or using your opposite hand.
  3. You are always shooting with the same weight cue.
  4. Your cue always has the same balance.
  5. Unlike a shaft extension it detaches easily when shooting in a tight area.
  6. You can usually maintain the cue's original weight and balance by permanently removing weight bolts. Modern butt extensions are surprisingly light.
  7. A number of shots are just a little beyond comfortable reach. If you are already extended, you just shoot them comfortably. If you're not, you may be tempted to just reach a little farther rather than use a bridge or go get the extension.
What do you think? Will more and more people come around to this way of thinking? Butt extensions seem to be more popular than a few years ago.
 

Poolhall60561

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Even the 3” predator extension adds 2.65oz.
Turn my 19oz into 21.65oz
I tried but cannot remove the weight bolt.
21.65 is a bit heavy
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been using a full time butt extension for several years now. I previously tried shaft extensions and temporary extensions. I won't be going back to previous methods. Here are a few reasons why:
  1. The need for a longer reach comes up pretty often. When it comes up, the extension is already there. No need to go get it.
  2. Fewer shots require a mechanical bridge or using your opposite hand.
  3. You are always shooting with the same weight cue.
  4. Your cue always has the same balance.
  5. Unlike a shaft extension it detaches easily when shooting in a tight area.
  6. You can usually maintain the cue's original weight and balance by permanently removing weight bolts. Modern butt extensions are surprisingly light.
  7. A number of shots are just a little beyond comfortable reach. If you are already extended, you just shoot them comfortably. If you're not, you may be tempted to just reach a little farther rather than use a bridge or go get the extension.
What do you think? Will more and more people come around to this way of thinking? Butt extensions seem to be more popular than a few years ago.
I am not tall.

I do not have a long bridge and my grip hand is only a few inches down from the cue’s balance point.

I do not like having to change my grip or bridge.

I don’t want the extra length of the butt behind me when I don’t need the added length for a stretch shot.

I have a cue with a butt extension, but I don’t keep it on the cue.
 

kling&allen

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
I've been using a full time butt extension for several years now. I previously tried shaft extensions and temporary extensions. I won't be going back to previous methods. Here are a few reasons why:
  1. The need for a longer reach comes up pretty often. When it comes up, the extension is already there. No need to go get it.
  2. Fewer shots require a mechanical bridge or using your opposite hand.
  3. You are always shooting with the same weight cue.
  4. Your cue always has the same balance.
  5. Unlike a shaft extension it detaches easily when shooting in a tight area.
  6. You can usually maintain the cue's original weight and balance by permanently removing weight bolts. Modern butt extensions are surprisingly light.
  7. A number of shots are just a little beyond comfortable reach. If you are already extended, you just shoot them comfortably. If you're not, you may be tempted to just reach a little farther rather than use a bridge or go get the extension.
What do you think? Will more and more people come around to this way of thinking? Butt extensions seem to be more popular than a few years ago.

Why not play with a longer cue to begin with?
 

Saturated Fats

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am not tall.

I do not have a long bridge and my grip hand is only a few inches down from the cue’s balance point.

I do not like having to change my grip or bridge.

I don’t want the extra length of the butt behind me when I don’t need the added length for a stretch shot.


I have a cue with a butt extension, but I don’t keep it on the cue.
Your choice is certainly up to you, but I guess I don't see how any of the red items above are affected by adding a butt extension.
 

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think unless you are quite tall, the permanent extensions will be used by about 1 or 2 out of 100 serious players. A 58" cue suits the vast majority of serious players.

There is nothing wrong with an extension of course, but I don't think it will catch on in a higher ratio.
 

Saturated Fats

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The extension makes the cue more butt heavy and he doesn't want to move his bridge/grip hands back to compensate.

pj <- I think
chgo
Well yeah if you don't reduce weight by removing weight bolts first, but this thread is about full time use of a butt extension. So you'll probably want to do something permanent about the extra weight.
 

David in FL

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Meh…

I find that I need an extension once every five or six games at best. When I need one it takes 15 seconds to grab it and screw it on.

15 seconds once every five or six games seems like a small price to pay to have the cue play the way it was intended, and the way I like it to play, the vast majority of the time…
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
...it there a rule about cue length?
The WPA only cares about the minimum length: https://wpapool.com/equipment-specifications/#Cue-Sticks
Blank.png


pj
chgo
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I've been using a full time butt extension for several years now. I previously tried shaft extensions and temporary extensions. I won't be going back to previous methods. Here are a few reasons why:
  1. The need for a longer reach comes up pretty often. When it comes up, the extension is already there. No need to go get it.
  2. Fewer shots require a mechanical bridge or using your opposite hand.
  3. You are always shooting with the same weight cue.
  4. Your cue always has the same balance.
  5. Unlike a shaft extension it detaches easily when shooting in a tight area.
  6. You can usually maintain the cue's original weight and balance by permanently removing weight bolts. Modern butt extensions are surprisingly light.
  7. A number of shots are just a little beyond comfortable reach. If you are already extended, you just shoot them comfortably. If you're not, you may be tempted to just reach a little farther rather than use a bridge or go get the extension.
What do you think? Will more and more people come around to this way of thinking? Butt extensions seem to be more popular than a few years ago.
8. Extra "ballast" behind the grip hand adds some resistance to and feedback from sideways movement.

pj
chgo
 
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MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I spent some time trying to get used to always having the butt extension on. I liked it. But kept getting in venues where there wasn’t clearance.
 

Poolhall60561

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The biggest problem I find with using the extension is that you can’t use it everywhere because of the extra length
That extra few inches has you bumping into walls and tables in all but the best poolrooms.
At my friends home tables, it’s always an issue.
I like the long extension but I don’t want to be using it only sometimes.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are shots that come up which absolutely require the mechanical bridge/rake (sometimes even two/stacked, if the CB is frozen to/buried in, the pack at the foot of the table). Those who play with a full-time extension or a longer cue may likely loose their ‘touch’ with the rake eventually, since they have the ability to chronically over-reach and extend their bridge length past what is stable (?). I just don’t understand how any player could do well when repeatedly using more than double their standard bridge length (though obviously some do). I suppose, if your position play is really good, you just never let yourself end up with a shot you can’t reach.
 

The_JV

'AZB_Combat Certified'
Negatives:
1. Long bridges exaggerate bad strokes
2. The mechanical bridge is a skill like any other and further limiting its use will hurt you when the extension doesn't bail you out
3. Additional reach makes for lazy CB position. Again this can bite you in the ass further down the road
4. Using extensions removes the players ability to piss and moan about how the jump stick bails out the shooter's weak play
 
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